Feeder for particulate material, having means responsive to the rate of flow

Claim 3

The device specified in claim 1 wherein said second housing is mounted about a pivotal axis, and said second housing inlet opening and said second housing outlet opening are positioned with respect to said pivot axis so as to cause material moving in said second housing from said second housing inlet opening to said second housing outlet opening to cause a torque about said pivot axis, and said means to sense the weight of material restraining said housing from moving about said pivotal axis and including a member sensitive to the amount of force necessary to restrain said pivoting.

Claim 4

The combination as specified in claim 2 including means to rotate said feed members in said first and second housings at the same rate, and tachometer means to deliver an electrical signal indicating the speed of rotation of said feed means, said means restraining said housing from pivoting about is axis comprising a load cell delivering an electrical signal proportional to the force necessary to restrain such movement, and means to combine the electrical signals to deliver a signal proportional to the rate of feed of material through said housings.

Claim 5

The device specified in claim 1 wherein said feed means in said second housing comprises a wheellike member having a hub coaxial with the rotatably mounted assembly in the first housing, a plurality of radially extending vanes attached to said hub, said vanes being of size to pass underneath the inlet opening to said second housing and over the outlet opening from said second housing as they rotate with said hub.

Claim 6

The device specified in claim 4 and drive means to the feed means in said second housing including means which will transfer substantially no axial force to said second housing.

Claim 9

The device specified in claim 6 wherein said housing has a substantially circular center chamber, and wherein said material is dropped into said housing through a top opening thereof, a feed wheel rotatably mounted to said housing and having a plurality of vanes extending outwardly about the axis of rotation thereof, said vanes being adapted to engage material dropping through said top opening into said housing and move said material about the rotational axis of said wheel, and an outlet opening from said housing on the bottom wall thereof, said vanes moving material carried thereby over said outlet opening.

Claim 10

The device specified in claim 7 wherein said housing is pivotally mounted about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said feed wheel and substantially parallel to the plane of movement of said feed wheel, and said means to sense the weight of material comprising load-sensing means restraining movement of said housing about its pivotal axis.

Claim 11

The device as specified in claim 8 wherein said load-sensing means delivers an electrical signal proportional to the force exerted thereon.

Claim 12

The device of claim 9 wherein said means to determine the rate of movement of the means transporting material includes tachometer means to deliver an electrical signal, totalizer means to combine the electrical signals from said tachometer means and said load-sensing means to deliver a signal proportional to the feed rate of material being fed through said housing.

Claim 13

A gravity-type feeding device for feeding material from a storage bin comprising a first housing having a substantially circular interior chamber positioned below said bin, a rotatable feed wheel inside the interior chamber of said housing, said feed wheel having a hub, a plurality of vanes extending radially from said hub inside the interior chamber of said housing, said hub having a portion thereof extending into said bin, a plurality of radially extending vanes mounted on said hub inside the bin, means forming a passageway between the interior chamber of said housing and said bin, said vanes in said bin being of size to pass over said passageway as said hub rotates, said hub being rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, an outlet opening in the lower side of said housing spaced from the passageway a sufficient angular distance so that at least one of said radial vanes in the feed wheel in said housing is between the passageway between the bin and the housing and the outlet opening, a feed chute leading from said outlet opening substantially vertically downwardly, a second housing positioned below said first housing, said second housing having a substantially circular interior chamber, and a top wall, a second feed wheel rotatably mounted in said second housing about an axis substantially coincidental with the axis of rotation of the feed wheel in said first housing, said second feed wheel having a plurality of spaced radially extending vanes, an inlet opening in the top wall of said second housing positioned below said feed chute, flexible connection means between said inlet opening and said chute, said flexible connection means preventing force transfer between said chute and said second housing, means to pivoTally mount said second housing about a pivotal axis substantially parallel to the plane of movement of said second feed wheel and at substantially right angles to the axis of rotation of said second feed wheel, said axis being on a vertical plane adjacent the inlet opening of said second housing, means to rotate said first and second feed wheels about their respective axes, an outlet opening from said second housing in a lower wall thereof and angularly positioned more than 180* from said inlet opening of the second housing when measured in the direction of rotation of said second feed wheel, said pivotal axis being positioned so that material being carried in said second housing by said second feed wheel from said inlet opening and moving toward the outlet opening creates a torque about said pivotal axis, a load cell, and means between said second housing and said load cell which causes the load cell to restrain pivotal movement of said second housing about its pivot axis, said load cell delivering electrical signals proportional to the weight thereon from said second housing.

Claim 14

A gravity-type feeding device for feeding material from a storage bin comprising a first housing having a substantially circular interior chamber positioned below said bin, a rotatable feed wheel inside the interior chamber of said housing, said feed wheel having a hub, a plurality of vanes extending radially from said hub inside the interior chamber of said housing, said hub having a portion thereof extending into said bin, a plurality of radially extending vanes mounted on said hub inside the bin, means forming a passageway between the interior chamber of said housing and said bin, said vanes in said bin being of size to pass over said passageway as said hub rotates, said hub being rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, an outlet opening in the lower side of said housing spaced from the passageway a sufficient angular distance so that at least one of said radial vanes in the feed wheel in said housing is between the passageway between the bin and the housing and the outlet opening, a feed chute leading from said outlet opening substantially vertically downwardly, a second housing positioned below said first housing, said second housing having a substantially circular interior chamber, and a top wall, a second feed wheel rotatably mounted in said second housing about an axis substantially coincidental with the axis of rotation of the feed wheel in said first housing, said second feed wheel having a plurality of spaced radially extending vanes, an inlet opening in the top wall of said second housing positioned below said feed chute, flexible connection means between said inlet opening and said chute, said flexible connection means preventing force transfer between said chute and said second housing, means to pivoTally mount said second housing about a pivotal axis substantially parallel to the plane of movement of said second feed wheel and at substantially right angles to the axis of rotation of said second feed wheel, said axis being on a vertical plane adjacent the inlet opening of said second housing, means to rotate said first and second feed wheels about their respective axes, an outlet opening from said second housing in a lower wall thereof and angularly positioned more than 180* from said inlet opening of the second housing when measured in the direction of rotation of said second feed wheel, said pivotal axis being positioned so that material being carried in said second housing by said second feed wheel from said inlet opening and moving toward the outlet opening creates a torque about said pivotal axis, a load cell, and means between said second housing and said load cell which causes the load cell to restrain pivotal movement of said second housing about its pivot axis, said load cell delivering electrical signals proportional to the weight thereon from said second housing.

Claim 15

The feeding device of claim 11 and common drive means to rotate said first and second feed wheels, tachometer means to deliver an electrical signal indicating the speed of said first and second feed wheels, totalizer means to combine the electrical signals from said tachometer means and said load cell to deliver a signal proportional to the rate of material being fed through said housing from said bin, and means to adjust the speed of said common drive means in response to differentials in the rate signal from a preselected level.

Claim 16

The combination as specified in claim 11 wherein said second feed wheel includes an annular band member connecting the radial vane members, said annular band member being spaced from the peripheral walls of said second housing which defines said interior chamber in said second housing.

Claim 17

The combination as specified in claim 13 wherein said outlet opening from said second housing extends radially outwardly farther than said annular band in said second housing.

Claim 18

The feeding device of claim 12 and a control signal from a variable which provides a reference to determine the correct level of the rate signal.